Marine Biology Exam 1

PCC - Mandy Cook, BI-142 Spring 2025

Prokaryote

A unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryote

A type of cell that contains a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles, typically found in multicellular organisms.

Evolution

The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

Latitude

The measurement of distance north or south of the equator, expressed in degrees.

Longitude

The geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface, measured in degrees.

Orange Peel Projection

Projection with latitude and longitude at 30 degree intervals, usually used to put emphasis on bodies of water

continental drift

the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other, resulting from tectonic plate interactions over geological time.

Plate tectonics

The theory that explains the structure and motion of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere underneath.

seafloor spreading

the process by which new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and old crust is pushed away.

continental shelf

Structural part of continental landmass, but first part of the Ocean. Accounts for 8% of the ocean’s surface area

shelf break

The abrupt transition between the continental shelf and the continental slope, where the ocean floor drops significantly.

continental slope

The steeply sloped area of the seafloor that descends from the continental shelf to the ocean floor, typically characterized by a gradient and changes in sedimentation.

trenches

Deep, narrow depressions in the ocean floor formed by tectonic plate boundaries. Usually extend over 6000m

seamounts

Underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity, often rising significantly from the ocean floor but remaining below the sea surface

islands

Volcanic mountains that extend above sea level

sonar

Sound navigation ranging system. It uses sound waves to locate and analyze objects underwater, often utilized in mapping the ocean floor or detecting marine life.

intertidal zone

A coastal area that is exposed to air at low tide and submerged at high tide, hosting a diverse range of organisms adapted to changing conditions.

polar molecule

A molecule that has a partial positive charge on one end and a partial negative charge on the other end, resulting from uneven distribution of electrons. Water is one of these!!

hydrogen bonds

Weak attractions between polar molecules, particularly important in the properties of water and its interactions with other molecules.

benthic

referring to the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water before anything abyssal

pelagic

Includes the entire water mass of the Ocean, specifically the open ocean

bathyal

Approximately equivalent to the continental slope areas

photic

zone of the ocean where light penetrates, allowing photosynthesis to occur.

aphotic

The region of the ocean where sunlight does not penetrate, resulting in darkness and a lack of photosynthetic activity.

neritic

Water over the continental shelves

oceanic

zone of the ocean that is deeper and further from shore than neritic waters

anoxic

Lacking oxygen

hypoxic

referring to waters with low dissolved oxygen levels, but not completely devoid of it.

eutrophication

the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in nutrients, often leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen, and then leads to hypoxia. Bad!

hadal

Abyssal water, below 6000 m

heat capacity

The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a given quantity of a substance by one degree Celsius. It influences ocean temperatures and climate.

surface tension

the cohesive force between liquid molecules at the surface, allowing it to resist external force.

latent heat

The amount of energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change, without a change in temperature. It plays a crucial role in oceanic processes like evaporation and condensation. Allows water to resist extreme temperature fluctuatiosn

density

The mass of a substance per unit volume, affecting buoyancy and circulation in marine ecosystems.

salinity

Salt content of water, measured in ppt

evaporation

The process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas, often due to heat from the sun. It is crucial in the water cycle and influences weather patterns.

precipitation

The process of water vapor condensing and falling to the Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail

wavelength

Distance between successive peaks of a wave

visible light

The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye, usually ranging from about 400 to 700 nanometers in wavelength.

neap tide

The low tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tides is the least, typically happening during the first and third quarters of the moon. Occurs when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other

spring tide

The high tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tides is greatest, typically happening during the new and full moons. This occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned.

semidiurnal

two high tides, two low tides

diurnal

one high tide, one low tidem

mixed semidiurnal

a tidal pattern with two unequal high tides and two unequal low tides each day.

gyres

big circular surface currents

eddies

small whirlpool-like structures formed in ocean currents.

thermohaline circulation

Vertical circulation that results from varying surface water density. Driven by differences in temperature and salinity

salt wedge estuary

A type of estuary where seawater and freshwater meet, creating a vertical gradient with a distinct salt layer at the bottom.

water

___ has a high boiling point for its size (100 C)

water

___ has a high freezing point for its molecular size (0 C)

water

___ has the highest surface tension of all liquids

water

___ has the highest latent heat of vaporization/fusion among all common natural substances

water

__ dissolves more substances than any other liquid

upwelling

The process by which deep, cold water rises to the surface, bringing nutrients with it.

el nino

A climate pattern characterized by the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting global weather patterns. Characterized by an warming of the equator

nekton

organisms that actively swim in the ocean, such as fish, squid, and marine mammals.

plankton

tiny organisms that drift in ocean currents, including phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are essential to aquatic food webs.

epifauna

organisms that live on the sea bottom

infauna

Live in the sediment of the seafloor

phytoplankton

photosynthetic microorganisms that float in the ocean and are a primary source of energy for marine ecosystems.

zooplankton

non-photosynthetic plankton

splash zone

part of the intertidal that is never submerged

upper intertidal

underwater only at high tide

mid intertidal

the area that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide, hosting a variety of habitats and organisms.

low intertidal

area of the intertidal that is only exposed with low tides

subtidal

the region of the intertidal that is always underwater

autotroph

an organism that produces its own food through photosynthesis

heterotroph

an organism that consumes others for food.

consumers

organisms that obtain energy by eating other organisms.

predators

organisms that hunt and consume other organisms for food, typically prey

herbivores

organisms that primarily consume plants.

decomposers

organisms that break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

detritus

waste products and dead remains of organisms

trophic pyramid

a model that illustrates the distribution of energy and biomass among different trophic levels in an ecosystem, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex.

food web

a complex network of feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem, illustrating how energy and nutrients flow through multiple trophic levels.

positive interaction

a relationship between two or more species that benefits at least one of the participants

negative interaction

a relationship between species that results in harm or disadvantage to one or both parties

competition

a relationship where species compete for the same resources, leading to detrimental effects on one or both species

predation

Good for predator, bad for prey. A biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, the prey.

herbivory

A biological interaction where an organism, the herbivore, feeds on plant material, often leading to harm to the plant.

commensalism

a relationship between two species where one benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.

mutualism

a biological interaction where both species involved benefit from the relationship.

parasitism

a relationship between two species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host.

trophic cascade

a phenomenon where the removal or addition of an apex predator disrupts the entire ecosystem, impacting species at multiple trophic levels.

bottom-up control

an ecological interaction where the abundance of primary producers, like plants, regulates the structure and dynamics of the ecosystem.

top-down control

an ecological interaction where higher trophic levels, such as predators, regulate the abundance and diversity of lower trophic levels in an ecosystem. Green world hypothesis

symmetry

How an animal may be divided into equal halves

segmentation

the division of an organism's body into repeating segments, allowing for specialization of body regions.

exoskeleton

a hard outer structure that provides support and protection to an animal, commonly found in arthropods and some mollusks.

taxonomy

the science of classifying and naming organisms, including the study of their evolutionary relationships.

morphology

the study of the form and structure of organisms, including their anatomy and physical features.

phylogenetics

the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among species, often represented in a phylogenetic tree. It uses genetic data to infer evolutionary connections and classify organisms.

domain

the highest taxonomic rank in the biological classification system, categorizing life into three main groups: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya.

archaea

single-celled microorganisms that are distinct from bacteria, often found in extreme environments and characterized by unique biochemical processes. One of the three domains

Eukarya

the domain that includes all eukaryotic organisms, which possess complex cells with membrane-bound nuclei and organelles. This domain encompasses a diverse range of life forms including animals, plants, fungi, and protists. One of the three domains

Bacteria

the domain that comprises single-celled prokaryotic organisms known as bacteria, which can be found in numerous environments and include both pathogenic and beneficial species.

Kingdom

a classification rank that groups related phyla together in biological taxonomy. It typically represents a major category of life forms such as animals or plants.

Phylum

a rank in biological classification that groups organisms based on general characteristics and evolutionary relationships, comprising multiple classes.

nitrogen fixation

the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants, primarily carried out by certain bacteria.

gross primary production

Total amount of carbon fixed by autotrophs